I made these Japanese potstickers "Gyoza" for a dinner potluck on Friday. They were a hit! Great for a casual appetizer. They are savoury, easy to eat and will open up your guests' appetite for the upcoming meal.

I've posted a recipe here in the past but the ingredients I used this time are much simpler & easy.Vegetarians! Keep in mind you can also make these without meat.

Ingredients (makes around 25-30 potstickers):

Gyoza wrappers (you can buy them at a Japanese supermarket or an asian one. I've seen them in Wholefoods here in SF)

1/3 minced meat (I used turkey, I also recommend chicken or pork)

Chinese Chives (I bought these also at the Japanese supermarket), if you don't have them, use spring onions

(optional) Any other greens you like, like cabbage

1 tbsp grated ginger

1/2 - 1 tbsp grated garlic

1 tbsp each of Japanese soy sauce, sake, sesame oil

Steps: Please follow the steps on this recipe, I've provided step by step photos! Just make sure to pan fry them right before you are ready to eat them!

San Francisco's Japan Town's Nijiya has a special 20%-off-all-meat-day on the 29th of every month a.k.a. Meat day. "2-9" can also be read "ni-ku" which means "meat" in Japanese.

On this day last month, I went a little crazy purchasing thin sliced pork and beef. Enough to last us a month. Today's dish uses thin sliced pork and any of your favourite vegetables. I used Japanese daikon, zucchini and onions since it's been in season at SF's farmers markets.

This dish is a "ita-me-ni" (炒め煮) which means to stir fry and boil in liquid. In this case, we boil the ingredients in Japanese soy sauce, ginger, sugar, mirin and sake; a typical teriyaki type sauce. A typical Japanese dish which goes perfectly with rice and miso soup. With every bite, I was reminded of home.

I just wanted to add a note about the wonderful experiences I've been having at one of San Francisco's Farmer's Markets. I go to Heart of the City Farmers Market in Civic Center every Sunday to get fresh vegetables and fruits. Today, I got 2 eggplants, 4 apricots, a bag of cucumbers, a bag of large green peppers, kabocha, strawberries, black berries and mini tomatoes for just......$10!

Not only can you get fresh vegetables and fruits from farmers markets. You can also speak with the people who are responsible for the products and get advice from them; how to pick the best kinds and such. Highly recommended!

About This Dish:I head over to my freezer when I find myself hungry and in need of a substantial and healthy Japanese meal at home. Why? Because I usually have a stash of udon hidden in my freezer! Yaki-Udon (Fried Udon) is one of Japan's most popular noodles, udon, stir fried with a bunch of vegetables and optionally meat. This recipe adds a delicious taste to the dish by adding a little bit of sesame oil and Japanese soy sauce! Be creative in your additions and you might end up with an amazing dish for lunch! My mom actually used to make this for me for breakfast. Good old days :)

For those of you who haven't tried this popular recipe on my blog, YOU MUST!

Chicken or pork katsu (essentially Japanese style fried chicken or pork) is a very popular dish in Japan and in the US. This recipe provides a healthy alternative; it uses absolutely no oil. It's as crunchy, delightful and satisfying as the deep fried version, I promise. I also must mention that it is much less of a hassle to make since you don't have to clean up the oily mess on your counters. Instead, you pop it in the oven to bake!

Last night, I topped one of the katsus with some mexican cheese. It simply melted in my mouth!

Why did I decide to make katsu last night? Not only because it's delicious; but also because it signifies good luck! Many students applying for schools/jobs eat katsu dishes to wish for a good result; to win ("katsu" (勝つ) in Japanese) !

About This Dish:Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake containing various ingredients varying by region. Osaka has different types, Hiroshima has different types and Tokyo has different types! Some areas like to put in meat, some areas like seafood. Some put a layer of noodles underneath and top it with a cracked egg. Some mix rice into the mix! Basically, you can throw in whatever you like into these pancakes. In Japan, "Okonomiyaki Parties" are very popular. People basically set up a hot plate at home and make okonomiyakis! There are many restaurants serving gourmet to casual okonomiyakis as well. The best thing about this dish is that you can throw in the craziest ingredients of your preference whether it be natto, cheese or pickles!

The main ingredients for an okonomiyaki is cabbage, flour and the toppings (sauce, mayo). The toppings are usually the same where ever you go. You can buy the sauces on Amazon.com or at any asian supermarket; I saw it at Shaws recently too.

This recipe is the simplest of them all. Minimal ingredients. I even had to use whole wheat flour since I had run out of the regular kind. It still worked!

What You Need:(Makes 4 servings/pancakes)

A lot of shredded cabbage, as much as you like (I probably used 3, 4 cups)

About This Dish:Japanese hamburg steaks are basically burger patties eaten without buns. It's a very popular dish in Japan, served in many restaurants/cafes/fast food chains and for dinner at home. Beef or pork is usually picked as the choice of ground meat, however I've picked turkey just for a more lean option. For an even healthier option, check out the tofu hamburg recipe or the chicken patty recipe I've posted. Various sauces are used; demi glace, ponzu, teriyaki, ketchup, etc. I've posted a super easy demi glace recipe so check that one out if you've got the time! People of various ages are seen eating this dish in Japan, whether it be children or a senior. You could even make a Hawaiian dish, locomoco with leftovers!

One important tip I have is to make sure the onion is cold upon mixing with the ground meat. If the meat is warm or hot, it causes the juicy fat of the meat to run away, making the patties soggy! :[

Serve with Japanese rice and plenty of veggies!

What You Need:(Makes 4 servings)

300g or 10oz of ground meat (I used ground turkey here)

1/2 - 1 onion

1 egg

5 tbsp panko bread crumbs

5 tbsp milk

Salt and pepper

Oil (I use organic coconut oil from Trader Joes)

1. Chop the onions up into small pieces and heat them up in a pan. Once cooked through, put them aside to cool them down whether it be on the counter or in the fridge. We want the onions to be cool/cold upon mixing with the ground meat!

4. Heat a pan with oil on HIGH heat and place the patties. Brown the surface of both sides.

2. In a separate bowl, soak the panko with the milk.

5. Once both sides are brown, put the heat down, pour in 1/4 cup of water and put the lid on the pan until the water disappears.

3. Mix the ground meat, cooled onions, panko/milk, salt/pepper and stirred egg together until it becomes well blended and sticky. Create the burger patties with your hands. I made 4!

Number of steps: 5 stepsTime taken: 10 min to prepare, 25 min in the oven

About This Dish:I love pork or chicken katsu but we all know that it can be unhealthy since it's deep deep fried. So since I love the crunchiness of the bread crumbs that is the result of deep frying, is there a way to replicate that? The answer is Yes! I found a bunch of recipes out there which made chicken/pork katsu WITHOUT deep frying.

We will pop it in the oven instead. Absolutely no oil used in this recipe! You can also use this recipe for chicken or pork katsu. If you are using thicker meat, adjust the time in the oven appropriately.

What You Need:(4 chicken katsu fillets)

4 thin chicken fillets

Bread crumbs/Panko

All purpose flour

1 egg (Use as much as needed)

Salt & pepper

1. Get the chicken fillets and put some salt and pepper on it as prep. Pre heat the oven to 390F - 400F.

4. On a oven safe tray, place the fillets on top of a sheet of aluminum foil. Place in the oven for approximately 25 min.

2. Take a good amount of panko (bread crumbs), maybe 1-2 cups, and start roasting it on a heated pan until it turns golden brown. This will make the crumbs crunchy, giving it the same effect as when you deep fry it.

5. Once it is done, cut it up and serve with Japanese katsu sauce, rice and miso soup.

3. Place each fillet in the flour, then the egg and finally the bread crumbs.

About This Dish:Today I was stuck at home because of Sandy the hurricane, so I ended up making this Japanese homemade winter dish! This is also a type of comfort dish where every family has a distinct taste; some families might make it a strong taste using more soy sauce where some might make it more light. It's eaten with rice and miso soup (and other veggies like salad of course). Yes, I guess we love carbs. This plate is more potatoes than anything else so don't kill it with too much meat!

What You Need:(Makes 2 servings)

1/3 pound of thin sliced beef or pork (I used beef and put of it, around 15 slices maybe?)

1 large potato

1/2 onion (I used red onion but it's usually regular onions)

7 baby carrots

1/2 - 1 pack of shirataki noodles (They sell these at wholefoods or shaws, click here to see what the packaging looks like)

1. Cup up the onions like so. While you do this, boil some water in a pot. We're going to boil the shirataki real quick (to get rid of the smell)!

2. Once the water is boiling, boil the shirataki for 2 minutes or so. Once it's done, drain and cut it up in to edible sizes.

5. Add the potatoes and carrots. Continue heating on MEDIUM heat until the ingredients are warm.

1.2. Peel the potatoes and leave it in the water for a couple minutes.

3. Heat up a pot and fry the thin sliced meat on MEDIUM heat.

6. Add the water, sake and hondashi. Put a lid on the pot and put down the heat a little bit. Heat for 10 minutes while skimming the skum. After 10 minutes, check to see if the potatoes are cooked through then, add the mirin and sugar. Heat on low for another 5 minutes with the lid on. Mix whenever you think is right but don't crush the potatoes! Be gentle.

1.3. Cut up the baby carrots too.

4. Add the shirataki noodles and onion. Heat for 2 minutes or until the ingredients are warm.

7.After 5 minutes, add the soy sauce and heat on low for another 5 minutes without the lid. Mix carefully as it heats. Start tasting it and add more soy sauce or mirin depending on the outcome.

About This Dish:Here is another comfort dish for many Japanese people. Every Japanese family has their own distinct recipe for this dish. Depending on which area the family is originally from this dish may taste very strong, or some families may keep it simple. Either way, I can confidently say that every family cherishes this dish! It's simple to make, but so fulfilling and delicious! This recipe is one which is simple, easy to make and has a strong taste. Feel free to experiment!

What You Need:(Serves 3-4 people)

300-400g or a little less than 1 pound of thin sliced pork (You could also use pork cut into small cubes, it's all your preference. Most families use thin sliced pork)

1/2 large onion

A tiny bit of all-purpose flour

For the sauce

1 slice of ginger or 2 tbsp of grated ginger

4 tbsp of soy sauce (preferably Japanese soy sauce of course)

4 tbsp of Japanese sake or regular white wine

2 tbsp of Japanese mirin

1. Sprinkle a little bit of flour onto your meat before cooking it. This helps to contain the deliciousness of the meat prior to cooking it.

4. Add the onions once the meat changes color.

2. Slice up the onions. You don't have to cup them up too small, we want to be able to taste it and savor it.

5. Mix up the ingredients for the sauce and pour it into the pan.

3. Cook the pork on a pan. Try not to use oil here, especially if you have a non-stick pan.

6. Cook it for a few more minutes until the sauce becomes thick.

Note:

I try to use pork belly instead of pork loin. Pork belly tastes good as it is, whereas pork loin should be marinated before hand for a better taste.

This dish is usually eaten with rice and a side of raw thin sliced cabbage! I usually put Japanese mayo on the side. Mmm!